| One of the most common hurdles that I've seen | | | | job. A realistic goal isn't going to be doubling your |
| people face when trying to make positive changes in | | | | income by the end of the week. Instead, a realistic |
| their lives is the tendency to set unrealistic goals for | | | | first goal might be to speak to someone at a job |
| themselves. Goals that aren't really achievable in the | | | | placement firm, and setting up an appointment. Then |
| amount of time that they've allotted. | | | | the next step is to go in for your appointment and |
| And that often leads to frustration and a feeling of | | | | talk to them about your resume and work |
| failure, and eventually, giving up. | | | | experience and what to say during your interviews. |
| In a previous article, I talked about the need to view | | | | Then maybe redoing your resume, if needed. Then |
| your personal development in steps, rather than as | | | | going on some interviews. And so on. I'm sure I'm |
| one huge task to accomplish. And how taking that | | | | not getting that exactly right, and I'm probably |
| first step can be the hardest thing to do. Well, now I | | | | leaving out some steps, but the main point is still |
| want to talk about all of the steps that come after | | | | there. |
| that first step. | | | | It's great to have a long term goal, such as doubling |
| The key is to continue to think of them as small | | | | your income, but you can't reasonably expect that to |
| steps to be taken one at a time. And to do that you | | | | happen faster than it's going to happen. And getting |
| have to give yourself realistic goals that can be | | | | discouraged and frustrated by the time it takes is |
| achieved at a realistic pace. | | | | only going to sabotage your growth and |
| It doesn't do you any good to expect yourself to | | | | development. |
| finish something in one day if it's really going to take | | | | Once again, I can relate this to my own martial arts |
| two or three days. In that case, you need to break | | | | training. I've seen a lot of people leave the school |
| the project down into smaller steps that can be | | | | after only a few classes, or maybe a month or so. I |
| completed each day, and then break that down into | | | | know it's not true of everyone who leaves so |
| what can be completed in a few hours, and so on. | | | | quickly, but I think that for a lot of them, they |
| Once you start finishing tasks and scratching them | | | | realized that they weren't going to become a kung fu |
| off of your list, you'll start to feel encouraged by | | | | master by tomorrow. And they didn't want to put in |
| what you've accomplished, and that positive feeling | | | | the hard work, or take any of the incremental steps |
| will keep you going into the next step and the next | | | | required to get to that level, so they left, frustrated |
| one after that, and so on. And, believe it or not, you'll | | | | and disappointed. And now they're not learning |
| actually get to your desired end much faster this | | | | anything. |
| way. | | | | Their goals were unrealistic. And they sabotaged their |
| Keep in mind that I'm not trying to get you to | | | | own development as a result. If they had stayed |
| spread your work out so far that you hardly ever | | | | with it, they could be very far along in their training |
| get anything done. The goal is to be realistic in what | | | | by now. |
| you can do in any given amount of time. And it's | | | | So to get back to my main point, set up a realistic |
| going to be different for everyone. So don't get | | | | schedule for yourself with realistic goals in a realistic |
| discouraged if your friend works faster than you do. | | | | time frame. And let every small bit of positive |
| This isn't a race. It's about what's best for you. | | | | achievement encourage you to keep working. You'll |
| So, as an example, let's say you want to find a new | | | | get where you need to be before you know it. |